1|ENGROSSED HOUSE AMENDMENT |
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2|ENGROSSED SENATE BILL NO. 36 By: Dahm of the Senate |
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4| Echols of the House |
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7| An Act relating to the Oklahoma Open Records Act; |
| amending 51 O.S. 2021, Section 24A.8, as amended by |
8| Section 1, Chapter 12, O.S.L. 2022 (51 O.S. Supp. |
| 2022, Section 24A.8), which relates to disclosure of |
9| law enforcement records; requiring disclosure of |
| recordings from certain equipment; and declaring an |
10| emergency. |
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16|AUTHOR: Remove Representative Echols as principal House author and |
| substitute with Representative West (Kevin) |
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18| Add the following House coauthor: Randleman |
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19|AMENDMENT NO. 1. Strike the title, enacting clause, and entire bill |
| and insert: |
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22| "An Act relating to education; permitting school |
| districts to employ or accept volunteer chaplains; |
23| clarifying certification requirements; directing for |
| background check; prohibiting certain individuals |
24| from employment or volunteering; providing reasons |
| for dismissal; clarifying that students and their |
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1| parents may or may not decide to use chaplain |
| services; prohibiting proselytizing; defining term; |
2| requiring chaplains to complete or possess certain |
| degrees; authorizing chaplains to obtain |
3| ecclesiastical endorsements; providing specific |
| requirements for attestation; providing for |
4| codification; and providing an effective date. |
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7|BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA: |
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8| SECTION 1. NEW LAW A new section of law to be codified |
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9|in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 1210.205 of Title 70, unless |
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10|there is created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows: |
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11| A. A school district may employ or accept one or more volunteer |
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12|chaplains to provide support, services, and programs for students as |
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13|assigned by the governing body of the school. A chaplain employed |
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14|or volunteering under this act is not required to be certified by |
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15|the State Department of Education. |
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16| B. A school district shall conduct a background check before |
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17|employing or accepting as a volunteer any chaplain. The background |
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18|check shall be in accordance with Section 5-142 of Title 70 of the |
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19|Oklahoma Statutes and volunteers shall be treated as employees for |
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20|purposes of this subsection. |
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21| C. A school district shall not employ or accept as a volunteer |
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22|a chaplain who has been convicted of or is a defendant for an |
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23|offense that requires the defendant to register as a sex offender. |
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24|No chaplain shall be employed or accepted as a volunteer if the |
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1|chaplain has been convicted or has received a deferred sentence in |
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2|this state, another state, district or territory of the United |
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3|States for a felony offense or for an offense listed in Section |
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4|6-101.41 of Title 70 of the Oklahoma Statutes. |
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5| D. A chaplain may be dismissed for: |
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6| 1. Mental or physical abuse to a child; |
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7| 2. Negligent endangerment of a child; or |
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8| 3. Commission of an act of moral turpitude. |
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9| This list is not exhaustive and a school district may dismiss an |
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10|employed or volunteer chaplain if, for any reason, it believes the |
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11|chaplain's presence could lead to harm. |
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12| E. It is solely the decision of the individual student and |
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13|their parents whether to seek the support or services of a chaplain. |
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14| All students are welcome to utilize a chaplain, but no student may |
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15|be required to do so. Parents shall be allowed the opportunity to |
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16|opt their child out of chaplain services. |
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17| F. Chaplains employed or volunteering with a school district |
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18|are prohibited from proselytizing while working or volunteering |
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19|during school hours or other school functions. Proselytizing shall |
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20|mean the action of attempting to convert someone from one religion, |
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21|belief, or opinion to another. |
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22| G. For purposes of this act, a chaplain shall be a person who |
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23|obtains an ecclesiastical endorsement from their faith group |
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24|certifying that such chaplain is: |
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1| 1. A minister, rabbi, priest, imam, lay leader, or similar |
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2|functionary of the faith group; |
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3| 2. Qualified morally, intellectually, and emotionally to serve |
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4|as a chaplain; and |
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5| 3. Sensitive to religious pluralism and able to provide for the |
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6|free exercise of religion by all students. |
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7| H. Chaplains shall complete or possess a baccalaureate degree, |
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8|completing one hundred twenty (120) semester hours, a graduate |
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9|degree in theological or religious studies, and at least seventy-two |
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10|(72) hours in graduate work. Both degrees shall be from accredited |
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11|universities. |
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12| I. Chaplains shall be able to obtain a federally recognized |
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13|ecclesiastical endorsement from their denomination or faith group |
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14|for employment or volunteer service. The endorsement shall attest |
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15|that: |
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16| 1. The chaplain is an ordained minister or member in good |
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17|standing of the respective denomination or body; |
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18| 2. The denomination approves of the chaplain serving as an |
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19|employee or volunteer with the school district; |
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20| 3. The chaplain is qualified morally, intellectually, and |
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21|emotionally to serve as a chaplain; and |
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22| 4. The chaplain is sensitive to religious pluralism and is able |
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23|to provide for the free exercise of religion by all students, |
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24|families, and school employees. |
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1| SECTION 2. This act shall become effective November 1, 2024." |
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2| Passed the House of Representatives the 24th day of April, 2024. |
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5| Presiding Officer of the House of |
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7| Passed the Senate the ____ day of __________, 2024. |
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10| Presiding Officer of the Senate |
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